


We Are the Sword in the Shadows

by KaedeRavensdale



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: And two specializations of Blood Mages, Death Dealers and Blood Mages, Farlan took over for Levi as Lance Corporal after he disappeared, Humanity at war with Vampires, M/M, More about this later, Nonlinear storyline so it may take a while for certain things to make sense, Two different classes of Vampires, Vampire AU, more tags may be added later, vampire Levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-01-30 13:53:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12654858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaedeRavensdale/pseuds/KaedeRavensdale
Summary: The War of the Fang has raged for generations, with the humans united under the mantle of the Holy Mitrian Empire and the Vampires of the Dark Lands under the rule of four Night Lords. Throughout most of history the night-born blood drinkers were embroiled in a five way war but in recent years they’ve begun to work together. Bolstering their forces and planning for war. Farming Death Dealers, shock troopers with preternatural physical abilities even among Vampires, by targeting the Scouting Legion.Fifteen years after Humanity’s Strongest went missing, the Legion has captured Death Dealer assassin known only as 'the White Wolf' who, once unmasked, is revealed to be their lost comrade and friend.When questioned he speaks of a fifth Night Lord, an Etheralki pupeteer who believes all life is precious, and warns of a plot that threatens to destroy humanity's last stronghold. A plot that Erwin himself has been looking into for years.As night threatens to overwhelm what little land they have left and corruption festers from within the Empire Erwin must make the choice to do nothing or make what very well may be a Devil’s deal with the creatures Humanity has fought for centuries.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a really long time since I've written anything for this fandom and to be honest it was kind of because I lost interest in it for a while but I'm back now.  
> I knew I have a lot of fics still unfinished for this and I'm not entirely certain what to do with them. I'll probably just finish AC3 since there's only a bit of it left but with the amount i feel my writing style has changed I think the change would be a little jarring with the others so I'm considering rewriting them.
> 
> I currently only have the prologue and first chapter of this one written up. I'm probably not going to post again on this one until I have a bit more written up just for the sake of avoiding plot holes because this is my first effort at a non-linear plot line and I want the world building and such to at least make some since because dear Lord Metanoia had more holes than swiss cheese and I don't want that happening again.

Prologue –

 

                The driving rain weakened the sunlight enough that he hadn’t needed to wait for night to fully fall to emerge from the shelter of Reiss Cathedral’s belfry. Levi crouched amidst the towering pillars and sweeping archways, hands gripping the stone below him and wings arranged in such a way that he’d be indistinguishable to passersby from the crenulated gargoyles clinging to the architecture. He watched the watery light fade from the streets of the city where he’d been born. Where he’d lived, once.

                Ages ago, now. Or so it seemed.

                The Death Dealer spread his wings with the soft crackle of stretching leather and, once certain no one could look up and see him any longer through the gloom, glided down onto the nearest roof. His black clothing blended with the saturated night, the perfect camouflage as he darted across buildings with a lithe precision. Silent and swifter than even a Scout.

                Fake wings, he’d since learned, had nothing on real ones. Exhilarating as it had been to swoop about on the sturdy hooks and cables of the Three Dimensional Maneuvering Gear it could never compare to soaring high above the spires of Utgard Keep with his Night Lord brat at his side.

                But now was the time to focus. The sooner he finished here the sooner he could return to his mate and the ice and snow.

                The hiss of gas and metal drew his attention downwards as he sailed over the gap between two buildings. A member of the Military Police swung by without seeing him and he didn’t stop to give the man a chance to rectify that oversight. The horned horse would never be the wings of freedom, but those who wore it as their insignia could still mean trouble for a lone Vampire. Especially one smack dab in the heart of the capital of the Holy Mitrian Empire, gunning for the head of the fat ponce they called a king.

                And if they called in backup from the Scouting Legion…

                Death Dealers were far better suited than Blood Mages for melee combat with their superior strength and constitution, not to mention abilities like Mikasa’s shadow hunting or his own aura-sight, but even they-even he-had limits. And in honesty Levi wasn’t certain he could bring himself to kill a former comrade, even if it had been fifteen years.

                Even if they’d no longer recognize him as anything but a monster.

                Not to mention the fact that he wasn’t keen on going against the laws of the coven he belonged to, ‘no wanton slaughter’ being equivalent to the Golden Rule in Eren’s eyes. An unhappy brat would only lead to him being locked out in the cold.

                At the apex of his next jump he spread his wings again, a stiff breeze propelling him over the ramparts of Sina Palace and across the courtyard. As much of a pain as being relegated to gliding was, drawing attention to himself with wingbeats wasn’t an option. Not if he wanted to remain undetected enough to be able to stop by the old stomping grounds before heading back north across the Dark Lands.

                Levi gripped the stone with his talons and folded his wings, prowling along the wall with all the ease of a spider. Unbeholden to gravity. He couldn’t enter a building without being invited, no Vampire could, and though this fact was well known to the humans who both feared and hunted his kind what they didn’t seem to realize was that that invitation didn’t need to be a verbal one.

                An open window was all it took, and with the summer being warm in the low lands there were plenty of those to be found.

                His head snapped around at the sight of motion to his right; silken curtains weaving in and out of the open doors of a balcony leading to the royal chamber. The Blood Gods were on his side tonight.

                With all the noise of a cat Levi dropped from the wall, landing poised on the stone railing. He paused only long enough to secure his mask in place before slinking forward into the room. Just another of the night’s shadows, armed with blades a plenty and enough strength to crush a human skull with one hand.

                The masks were a sign of their coven, denoting them to each other and their enemies on the battlefield, but here it was a precaution. Unlikely as it was that anyone would see him, or that they’d survive doing so to tell about it, it was better that he wasn’t recognized. Better his family had some false closure than know he’d willingly become the very beast he’d sworn to fight against.

                As much as he hated the man for what he’d done and what he was involved in he made it quick, for Eren’s sake. Pausing only long enough to carve what had become his moniker into the wooden headboard the masked raven exited the palace the same way he’d come, sailing back across the courtyard then climbing above the cloud line.

                The rain pattering against his spread wings reminded him of the sound he’d so often heard curled up in a tent in the Dark Lands when stormy conditions had forced the Legion to put down stakes and wait out the weather. He swooped over Wall Rose which separated the Noble District from the Military District and banked left, towards the third allotted to the Scouting Legion.

                Though noticeably dirtier, the barracks hadn’t changed since he’d been gone. Levi bit down on his compulsive quirk, sprouted from the obsessive desire for a clean environment which had been severe enough when he’d been human, and landed on the roof. The sparing green. The stand of trees where 3DMG training took place. The stables which held the horses used for expeditions into the Dark Lands. So familiar. So missed, though it was no longer his home.

                What he was doing was incredibly dangerous, and even more incredibly stupid, but he couldn’t resist the opportunity to briefly stop in and check on those he’d once considered family. It had been so long since he’d ventured into Rose. He had to know, at least, if they were still alive.

                He’d be quick and cautious and gone before dawn.

                Thank the night for Hanji’s tendency to leave the windows of her lab open. Levi slipped through the cluttered space, clambered up the walls and onto the ceiling. Slithering through the inverted halls until he caught one of the scents he was looking for. It was dulled with time and having last been smelled through the limited senses of a human but it was still instantly recognizable and more than enough to lead him straight to her room.

                He dropped down, hissing softly when the floors creaked beneath the sudden application of his weight. Pale fingers closed around the knob and turned. Cracking the door first to make sure the occupant was sleeping and then opening it fully. He couldn’t enter but he could look and that was enough. That was all he needed to do to know his adopted sister was still alive.

                Her hair was still as red as he remembered, the darkness combining with his enhanced vision to saturate the strands in the same color as the scarf Mikasa always wore. Isabelle’s back was to him, burrowed deep into the covers and fast asleep.

                Levi closed the door again, slowly so as to prevent the hinges from creaking, and leapt back onto the ceiling. Off he went in search of Farlan.

                He knew the blonde wouldn’t be far and located the correct door not long after. A creak sounded from his right, plainly not caused by the protest of the wood below him, and his head snapped around. Vampiric reflexes were all that kept the silver blade from taking his head off.

                The sharp edge lay into his shoulder and bit deep. He snarled and bared his fangs below the muzzle of the mask, swiping at Mike to ward off his next attack. The blonde fell back, adjusted his grip and prepared to come at him again.

                He never got the chance.

                The door to Farlan’s room flew open and a harsh blow assailed the back of his head before he could turn. Without the slightest clue what in the Night he’d been struck with-though he’d bet his fangs Hanji had invented it-Levi staggered briefly then crumpled with a disgruntled hiss. Blood stained the floor a dark shade of crimson where it gushed from his open shoulder, the silver in the wound preventing it from sealing itself closed. His energy was draining away at an alarming rate and darkness closed around his vision.

                The last thing the Death Dealer saw before losing consciousness was Farlan standing over him.


	2. Chapter 1

The chains emitted soft rattling sounds as the unconscious Vampire hung from their coiled grip, his wings-their span twice his height-pinned to the walls of the cell with silver daggers. His head lolled forwards against his chest, wood-formed wolf mask glinting bone white in the gloom. Blood dripped sluggishly onto the cracked stone floor.

Erwin stared at the suspended Death Dealer through narrowed eyes, Hanji Mike Isabelle and Farlan standing behind him along with their squads. Similar looks of hostile curiosity were written on their faces.

“The White Wolf.” His low voice echoed off the stone walls. The torches guttered. “Night Lord Yeager’s favorite assassin and the greatest Death Dealer alive. We’ve been hunting him for the better part of thirteen years and now he walked in through our door. Why?”

“An assassination attempt?” Petra looked over at her squad leader as she put the suggestion forward. Farlan shook his head, brow furrowed.

“That’s unlikely.” He said. “A Night Lord wouldn’t send a Death Dealer into the very maw of the beast. If a member of the Legion was their target they’d look to ambush them while we were on an expedition. Isabelle and I know that fact all too well.” The red head looked away from him, as if to hide her expression. “Furthermore,” he continued, “they wouldn’t waste their time with any rank below Commander. Behead the snake, it dies. But Mike found him outside of my door, not the Erwin’s.”

“You think he was out for abduction?” Hanji looked over in concern.

“It’s more likely.” He said. “But, again, a Vampire looking to abduct a Scout for conversion would wait until we were out in the Dark Lands. Separate them from the rest of the Legion and take them away like they did to-.”

 _“Don’t!”_ Her green eyes were over bright with unshed tears as she rounded on him. “He’s dead! Big Brother is dead, no one of those things, don’t suggest otherwise.”

“He’d still be dead even if he were a Vampire. He wouldn’t be the man we knew anymore.” He said. “You’re nothing but a monster once you’re turned. A mindless slave of the Night Lords.”

“Enough.” Erwin intervened before Izabelle could respond and opened the door of the cell. The unoiled hinges shrieked and the Vampire twitched, but remained unconscious. “How did you find him?”

“I thought I smelled Leech.” Mike crossed his arms over his chest. “He was shutting Isabelle’s door when I found him and was about to open Farlan’s when he noticed me. I don’t know what he was looking for. Didn’t stop to ask; Church knocked him out with one of those salt bludgeons Hanji made.”

“It worked?” at the mention of the use of one of her formerly untested inventions the scientist couldn’t help but jump on the subject.

“Yeah, it worked.” Farlan said. “He was out in a couple seconds and hasn’t woken up yet. Though that could have something to do with the fact that it’s the middle of the day.”

“What are we going to do with him?” Isabelle asked.

“Get whatever information out of this Death Dealer that we can and then put him down.” Erwin now stood just on the edge of the tacky pool. “The first order of business is unmasking him. Finally knowing who we’ve been facing all these years.”

The knotted string came undone with a snap when the Commander pried it free, and immediately dropped it in surprise. The wood landed in the puddle of blood with a muffled splat.

“Sweet Maria!” The timing between the disappearance of Humanity’s Strongest and the first appearance of the White Wolf had been too loose to connect, yet it all made perfect sense. The best Death Dealers were born from twisted Scouts, and it stood to reason that the greatest Death Dealer alive would be the remains of Levi Ackerman.

There was significance with him being in the Legion’s barracks when he’d been caught but if not murder or abduction than what? Was it possible some echo of the man he’d known had driven the Vampire to check in on those he’d once considered family?

“Commander!” There was stress in Farlan’s voice and he didn’t need to look behind him to know the other man was gripping the hilt of the dagger on his belt. “What is it?”

Blocking their view only delayed the inevitable. He trusted Mike and Hanji to contain their reactions, judging by his earlier words Farlan seemed to have to some degree expected such an outcome to be a possibility and his and Isabelle’s squads had never known Levi. It was the red head’s reaction he was most concerned about, considering she’d been in a state of near-denial that her ‘big brother’ could have been converted to the enemy. Erwin couldn’t blame her for preferring to believe he’d sacrificed himself so they could escape and had been killed, or killed himself, but such a preference now became a problem.

It conflicted with reality.

Bracing for an uncertain outcome the Commander stepped aside. Those who had never met the former Lance Corporal looked on in confusion. Mike turned away. The expression of excitement which always seemed to be present on the Major’s face withered like an unwatered plant. Farlan hissed a string of curses that would make a sailor blush as Isabelle buried her face in his chest, in tears.

It had gone better than he’d expected.

“There’s nothing more to do but wait for him to come around.” He left the cell, locking the door behind him. “Dismissed.”

Farlan all but had to frog march Isabelle up the dungeon stairs, their respective squads trickling behind them. Hanji had wrapped her fingers around the bars in a tight grip. Mike watched from the foot of the stairs as Erwin placed a hand on her shoulder.

“It isn’t fair.” She watched the captive Death Dealer swing gently back and forth. “I know that life isn’t fair, that those bastards target us like cattle to breed machines of war, but Levi didn’t deserve this.”

“The Night Lords won’t be able to use him anymore.” He said. “We’ll lay him to rest once we get the information out of him.”

“And we’ll make Yeager pay for this.” Mike said. “Him and all the other Night Lords.”

“Without the Night Lords the Vampires will finally be gone. The world will belong to humanity again.” The Major released the bars and stepped away. “That day can’t come soon enough.”

* * *

 

Isabelle accepted the tea which Petra forced into her hands but made no move to drink it. She’d stopped crying ten minutes prior and had been silent since. Tear tracks had dried silver on her face and Farlan looked at her with worry from where he sat across the table. Their squads had yet to part ways, taking a private lunch in his office instead of waiting to eat with everyone else in the main hall.

Krista and Thomas alternated between watching their squad leader stare into her cup and watching Connie and Sasha attack their food like rabid dogs. Petra had rejoined the rest of his own squad who seemed to be engrossed in a whispered conversation, firing occasional curious glances of their own in their general direction.

When another fifteen minutes passed and she still hadn’t moved or spoken he sighed and said “you should all head out. I’d like to speak with Squad Leader Magnolia alo-.”

“No!” Farlan nearly jumped out of his skin when she suddenly shouted. Her eyes were sharp despite the fresh tears threatening in their corners. “They can’t leave yet. They don’t know. They don’t know who he was.”

“Isabelle.”

“We’d both be dead at least twenty times over if it weren’t for Big Brother! They need to know that he wasn’t always just some monster; it’s the least that he deserves!” She snapped.  “If you won’t tell them I will. You can stick around and help me or you can leave.”

Knowing better than to argue with her when she got like this and resisting the urge to point out the fact that this was his office the grey eyed blonde settled further back in his seat. “You’re right.” He said. “They’ve all heard the warnings about abduction but if nothing else it’ll do them good to know that being strong, even being the strongest, isn’t enough to protect you.” His agreement seemed to settle her somewhat. Isabelle’s posture relaxed. “Do you want to tell it or should I?”

“I’ll start.” Isabelle finally took a sip of her now lukewarm tea. “If I can’t finish…”

Farlan nodded. “I’ll take it up for you, to the best of my memory.”

She waited for the others to seat themselves around them before beginning to tell the story of that awful night fifteen years before.

_“Disgusting.” Levi flicked blood from his silver blades, wires returning to their coiled position with the hiss of metal. “Just when I thought these Leech shits couldn’t get to be any more of a pain in the ass that one,” the short of stature raven jabbed the weapon in his right hand at the dissolving Vampire on the forest floor, “sprayed me down with gore.”_

_The branch dipped as Isabelle landed on it, balancing tilting dangerously forwards. He seized her collar, preventing the red head from tumbling from the tree, as Farlan landed on his other side._

_“Watch yourself.” Though the chiding was gentle it still held a stern edge. “Now isn’t the time to mess around, Magnolia.”_

_She snickered around a wide smile. “Oh, come on Big Bro. I’m just having a bit of fun. What’s wrong with that?”_

_“He’s not suggesting anything is wrong with having fun,” Farlan said. “Just that you should wait to do so until we’re somewhere safe.”_

_“At least one of you has their head screwed on straight. This idiot,” the harshness of his words was belied by the way he reached over to ruffle her hair, “is liable to get herself killed.”_

_“Is that really new?” the blonde grumbled. “Remember the sparrow?”_

_Isabelle blew a raspberry and Levi made a disgusted sound, stepping out of range. He fiddled with the levers of the 3DMG slung about his waist for a moment before deeming their state acceptable._

_“Remember the fac that we’ve gotten ourselves separated from the others and don’t have time to be remembering the time Magnolia almost got herself beaten to death over a bird with a broken wing?” mild, again, but still holding that edge of steel. Wolf-pelt eyes fluoresced in the dark. “Let’s head back to the horses. We need to meet back up with the Legion before more of Yeager’s parasites come looking to spirit us off or Shitty Glasses and Eyebrows Tree to have a conniption. Whichever happens first.”_

_He swung away into the night with the grace of a bird, closely followed by the other two. They hadn’t left the horses terribly far away but it was still a bit of a ways to travel. And, unfortunately enough of a span to draw attention with the hiss of metal and scent of gas._

_Levi caught sight of the winged monstrosity in time to swing out of its path. It careened by with one of his blades threaded through its neck, but this time the Vampire wasn’t alone._

_“Levi!”_

_“I know!” The raven didn’t turn at Farlan’s shout. Didn’t need to in order to know, from the flurry of beating wings, that the Night Lord’s entire coven was closing in on them. “It’s obvious what they’re searching for but there’s only one of us they’re really after.”_

_“You’re not suggesting what I think you are, are you?” the blonde sounded horrified._

_“We don’t have another choice.” He said. “They’ll catch up to us for sure on horseback and we don’t have enough gas to make it back to the rest of the Legion with just our gear.”_

_“But Big Brother-!”_

_“Quiet, Isabelle! It’s better one of us than all of us and I’m the one they’re certain to leave you two be to catch.” Levi snarled over the rushing wind and shrieks of the approaching vampires. “Who better to turn, if you’re looking to create a weapon, than ‘Humanity’s Strongest’? When I break right **get back to the Scouts!** ”_

_“But you’ve already lost one of your blades!” Isabelle protested. “You won’t be able to kill all of them with only one!”_

_“I’m not planning to kill them all and I only need one blade!”_

_Understanding had dawned in Farlan’s eyes. “You’re going to-.”_

_“Did you think I’d let them drag me back to Utgard? I’ve no interest in rebirth! And I’ll make sure even a Night Lord can’t undo my death.” He turned his head, the moonlight making his eyes glow like silver coins. “Take care of Magnolia. Mitras knows she can’t keep herself out of trouble.”_

_Farlan only managed to nod in response before the other man shot off to the right. The winged herd banked to follow and soon all of them had vanished into the darkened trees._

_They reached the horses what seemed like an eternity later and pulled themselves up onto their backs. When Farlan made to grab the reins of the silver-dapple Levi had been riding Isabelle caught his wrist and stopped him._

_Her face was streaked with tears. “No. We have to leave her.” She said. “Big Brother won’t be able to catch up to us without his horse.”_

_“Isabelle,” he tried to make his words gentle but doubtlessly failed. He’d watched his best friend from childhood, his brother in everything but blood, disappear into the night with a hoard of Vampires on his heels and every intention of sheathing the one blade he still had between his own ribs. It was forgivable that his nerves were a little jangled. “He isn’t-!”_

**_“Levi isn’t just any soldier, Farlan, he’s Humanity’s Strongest! He’ll be back at the Legion’s camp come morning!”_ ** _She yanked on the reins and started away. “We’re leaving the horse.”_

_Knowing it wasn’t worth the fight that she’d put up, Farlan reluctantly left the animal behind and followed her._

“The Lance Corporal was a great man and a great soldier. He took us both in back when we were all children living on the streets. Please,” Isabelle clutched the empty teacup so tightly it almost shattered, “don’t think of him as that thing hanging in the dungeons. It’s just wearing his face.”

“They caught him, then?” despite never having dealt with the red head’s more volatile moods Eld seemed to know instinctively to keep his words somewhat delicate. “Stopped him from taking his life when they cornered him?”

“It’s the only possible explanation. And I think I may know how.” Farlan said. “A Blood Mage of the Etheralki specialization. Levi’s will was iron and mind control would have been something he could throw off but there are records of a Puppeteer in Zeke’s coven. And there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t have been there with the rest.”

“A Puppeteer?” Sasha sounded confused.

 _That’s right. Isabelle’s squad aren’t much more than recruits and an ability that rare wouldn’t be something Shadis would mention._ He set his own cup down with a sigh. “’Puppeteer’ is what we call the Leeches with the ability, but they probably have their own word for it. They’re rare, as far as the Legion knows there’s only one, and we’re lucky for that because his control can’t be thrown off with a strong mind.”

“Because he doesn’t target the mind.” Gunther adjusted his position against the windowsill. “He targets the body. Manipulates blood to make his opponents dance on strings like a marionette. Hence the name.”

“There hasn’t been record of Eren Yeager in four hundred years.” Petra said. “For all we know he could be dead.”

“I’d kill for us to be that lucky.” Oluo grumbled. “Would rather you have tea with that Death Dealer strung up downstairs than go within ten miles of that Etheralki. The only way to kill him with a power like that would be to trick him into sunlight.”

“Every power has something that negates it.” Krista pointed out. “And with the covens constantly in a state of war with each other for control of the Dark Lands the other Night Lords would be out in search of someone who possessed it.”

“Dampeners are nearly as rare as Puppeteers.” Isabelle said. “Fat chance they’d have of finding one. Especially with their current focus on farming Death Dealers. Physical abilities and high constitution isn’t much of a match for Etheralki or Corporalki gifts. Even if Blood Mages are glass cannons the ability to foretell your opponent’s movements or expertly wield any weapon is nothing against a foe that can incinerate you or make your heart explode on a whim.”

Their conversation ended abruptly on that note when another member of the Legion tumbled through Farlan’s door.

“Squad Leader Magnolia, Lance Corporal Church, the Commander wants to see you!” The recruit was out of breath and red in the face. “There’s been another murder in Sina.”


	3. Chapter 2

The Military Police regarded them with a certain sort of apathy as the small group of Scouts walked down the palace halls in silence. Nile Dok stood at the end of the hallway with his arms folded behind him, watching their approach.

“Nile.” Erwin addressed his fellow Commander with steel in his tone. It had been a long time since they’d last been anything near what a sane individual could refer to as ‘friendly’ but both men were professional enough to maintain a ‘respectful’ working relationship when need be.

“Erwin.” The Commander of the Military Police’s tone was clipped. His dark eyes fell on those behind him. “An interesting…entourage you’ve brought with you. The Major and Lance Corporal I can understand but were the Squad Leaders really necessary?”

“Who I bring with me is neither your concern, Nile, nor the matter you called us here about.” His words were cold. Behind him, Isabelle glared at the black haired man. “They’re here because they all have some connection to the White Wolf and I felt it pertinent they be present for the examination of the scene of his last kill.”

“Last kill?” he repeated. “So the White Wolf is dead?”

“Not yet.” Erwin said. “But he will be, once he’s spoken.”

“But you know his identity?”

The Scout Commander heaved a heavy sigh. “Ex-Lance Corporal Levi Ackerman is no longer to be considered ‘missing in action’.”

Nile rocked back on his heels, pale beneath his goatee. “Maria.” He said. “But it makes sense, even if the timing is off.” Turning abruptly, he began to walk away. “He landed quite the blow for his last effort. The King is dead.”

The others stiffened. Erwin forced down the urge to mutter a few choice swears. “Someone must have invited him into the castle. Into the royal chambers. Is anyone else dead or missing?”

“No. However he got in he worked quickly and got out again. Efficient. Just like always. Just like back when he was one of your men instead of one of Yeager’s.” He turned a corner. “We’re in the process of looking for potential traitors but thus far we’ve found nothing. Focus on your job: putting that fang-bearing bastard down.”

“The Legion is aware of what our ‘job’ is, ‘Commander’.” Farlan growled, shooting Nile a glare which looked strikingly similar to Levi’s. Erwin’s look of warning went all but ignored.

“The White Wolf left his usual moniker?” he asked in an effort to steer the subject away.

The other man nodded and turned his baleful gaze from Farlan. “Yes.” He said. “The wolf’s head which seems to be Night Lord Yeager’s sign and a rough approximation of the Wings of Freedom. Ackerman seems to have developed a fondness for mocking the symbol he once proudly wore.”

The doors of the royal chamber were closed. Another pair of Military Police members stood astride them, neither that much older than recruits.

“Hitch, Marlow, open the doors.” The pair all but tripped over themselves in their rush to do as he’d said. The hinges creaked as they swung inwards and the stench of blood hit them like a brick wall. They stepped into the room.

Blue eyes scanned over the scene, quickly taking note of what lay before him. The corpse was sprawled on rumpled bloodied sheets, a single stab wound to the heart delivered by what looked like a dagger though no traces of weapons had been found on Levi. The White Wolf’s moniker had been scratched into the wooden head board above his victim. Nothing else in the room appeared disturbed.

“Has anything been moved?” He asked. Hanji approached the corpse and began checking it over for further damage.

“We shut the balcony doors when we arrived to keep out the wind.” The boy, Marlow, reported from the doorway. “But no, Sir, nothing other than that.”

“Very well.” He looked to Nile. “Once Hanji finishes her examination we’ll be done here. The King’s killer is in custody and the work here, as far as the Legion is concerned, is finished. We’ll get out of your hair so you can finish hunting down any bribed servants or guards.”

Judging by the sneer he received, the barb in his tone was neither unnoticed or appreciated. “Just make sure you do your job correctly! We don’t want him coming back to life again!”

In a manner which, in Erwin’s opinion, had very little dignity Nile turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Once the Commander of the Military Police was no longer in earshot Isabelle blew a raspberry. Farlan glared in silence at the spot where he’d vanished.

“Alright, I’m done.” Hanji straightened up. Seeing four pairs of eyes on her, she shook her head. “The only wound on him is the fatal one to his chest. Just like all of his other kills it was a single, precise, nearly instantly fatal and all but painless wound caused by a weapon other than claws or fangs. And he’s never drank from any of them as far as the evidence we have suggests. Levi isn’t like any of the other Death Dealers we’ve seen. Any of the other Vampires we’ve seen. I have so many questions I want to ask him.” All at once her excitement died, shoulders slumping. “But he won’t answer any of them. He won’t even call me ‘Shitty Glasses’ anymore because he won’t know who I am. Won’t recognize any of us because of what that bastard did to him.”

“We should get back.” Mike said after the silence stretched far too long. “It’ll be dark, or getting there, once we get back to the barracks and we shouldn’t waste time we could be using to interrogate him.”

Farlan didn’t say a word as he pushed off from the wall he’d leaned against, pulling Isabelle with him out the door. Mike followed, leaving Erwin and Hanji to bring up the rear.

Their horses hadn’t been moved from where they’d left them; their hooves clattered on the uneven cobblestone as they exited the walls of Sina Palace and clopped down the street back towards the gate into Mitras City’s Military District.

The spire of Reiss Cathedral split the light of the setting sun into conflicting beams of red and gold. Given all that had happened in the recent hours the sight of it brought back an onrush of memories.

_Levi’s black hair swung with the rolling gate of his horse, face unreadable as ever as he regarded the hulking form of the cathedral. He hadn’t been in the Legion for very long by that point but had already proven himself incredibly capable in the field and Erwin felt he knew him well enough to recognize the contempt in his silver eyes._

_“Not much of one for religion?”_

_The smaller man turned his head to look at him. “Tch!” Was the first sound out of his mouth in three hours. With how much Hanji had riled him up before they’d set out it was fairly understandable he wasn’t in much of a mood for words. “What’s the point of sitting in some shitty building praying to a nonexistent ‘Sky Daddy’? ‘Faith’ doesn’t protect anyone from those fang faced fucks and I haven’t the time to delude myself.”_

_Rather caught off guard Erwin could do nothing but laugh; he doubted he’d ever come across quite the same combination of taciturn and blunt again. Levi made the same chuffing sound as before and looked ahead of them. “You’re going to tell me you’ve seen a Vampire stopped by ‘hallowed ground’ or some other such notice, Eyebrows Tree?”_

_And then there was the matter of his tendency for coining incredibly sticky less than flattering nicknames. “No. I agree with you.” He said. “I’ve just never heard it said in quite such a…colorful way before.”_

He pulled his eyes away and kept riding. The members of the Garrison barely looked at them as they raised the gate and let them out of the Royal District. Twenty minutes later they were stabling their mounts.

Petra appeared in the doorway just as he was closing the stall of his horse. “He’s awake?”

The ginger young woman nodded.  “Yes, Sir, but he’s different.”

“Different?” Farlan repeated. “What do you mean?”

“His eyes, they’re…it’s probably better you see for yourselves.” With that said the small group exchanged looks of concern and followed her back into the barracks and down the dungeon stairs.

Hearing their footsteps the Death Dealer calmly raised his head. Erwin almost tripped down the last few stairs and a few of the others gasped but there was no further reaction.

The Vampire’s chirp sounded disappointed, golden eyes falling half lidded. “Well, it was amusing while it lasted.” He drawled, jerking his chin in Connie’s direction. “Cue ball almost shit his pants when he noticed my eyes weren’t red like all the others. And speaking of shit,” the amusement slid off his face, “that’s the adjective I’d use to describe your standards! Has this place _been_ cleaned since I last took a broom to it?”

Farlan was staring, dumb founded, through the bars. Isabelle had covered her mouth with her hands. Hanji was slowly shaking her head, eyes wide.

“He remembers. That’s not possible. He…He remembers!”

“It’s some sort of trick!” Mike glared at the vampire. Levi stared back at him with his trademark dead pan. “Leeches don’t remember who they were when they were alive. Ever.”

“Just because a pattern exists, Sniffer, doesn’t mean there can’t be exceptions.” The metal clinked as he attempted to adjust his position, the chains biting deeper into his already burned wrists. The wound on his shoulder was still open and dark red but had stopped bleeding. “As I’m sure Shitty Glasses can tell you correlation does not equal causation. Becoming a Vampire doesn’t rob you of your memory and identity, the Night Lords do. They supplant it with their will because it makes you easier to control. But _my_ Night Lord doesn’t believe in such a barbaric, shitty practice having been subjected to it himself.”

Giving up on finding a comfortable position Levi relaxed his arms and let himself swing.

“If you’d like me to describe the exact appearance and dimensions of Commander Eyebrows’ dick to prove that I really do remember and this isn’t some trick I can. The image, unfortunately, is still seared into my memory from the year I had to chase him through have the barracks with a pair of pants after one of Hanji’s shitty Christmas parties!”

“I-I remember that year!” The scientist sounded as unsteady as she looked. Isabelle made a hysterical sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. Half the others in the room were bright red.

“He’s an outlier. What does it matter? He’s still a Vampire.” The pain in Farlan’s voice was well hidden. Golden eyes blinked at him owlishly. “Memories or not this isn’t Levi. He may have hated the nobles but he’d never have risked innocent lives by killing the King. And he wouldn’t have killed any of the others. The man we knew only wanted to protect Humanity.”

“Which is precisely why I asked for this. What do you think I’ve been doing, Farlan?”

“ _How is regicide helping Humanity? Because of what you’ve done the Empire could collapse!”_ None of them were sure who said it and it didn’t really matter. Levi ignored them in favor of looking back at Erwin.

“They’d only be rumors on your end, not that that’s stopped a certain blonde from sticking their gigantic eyebrows into matters. ‘Discretely’ of course; because no one’s at all liable to notice a fucking giant poking around where he shouldn’t be.” He snorted. “But they’re a lot more than just rumors on mine. We’re tracing it from the ‘market’ side, after all.”

“I’ve had enough of your deflecting.” The Vampire regarded him with unimpressed boredom. “From now on you’ll only speak when you’re answering a question and once we’ve finished ringing information out of you we’ll-.”

“You’ll what? Stake me out in the sun?” Levi chuffed and rolled his eyes. A hiss of anger issued from the direction of Farlan’s squad. Erwin himself could feel one of the small muscles in his face start to twitch. Spitting and defiance was typical, as were insults and snarling, but this-Levi being what all but amounted to his typical self even when he wasn’t anymore, going against everything they thought they knew about Vampires and how they worked-was too much. “Four words tell me that you won’t.”

“And what would those ‘four words’ be?” Mike took a threatening step towards the caged and bound Death Dealer.

The little raven made a point of locking gazes with Erwin when he answered. “Black market slave trade.” The blonde went stiff and Levi smiled, revealing fangs the length of his pointer finger. “It seems I have your attention now, Commander.”


	4. Chapter 3

Black Market Slave Trade.

The words seemed to ring off the walls surrounding them, ever repeating into eternity as all present stared at the still frozen Scout Commander.

“Erwin,” Mike broke the spell of shock which had fallen over them, sounding unsteady. “What is he talking about?”

Slowly, the towering blonde gathered his wits about him and tore his gaze from the golden orbs which seemed to pin him in place. “There have been reports of strange happenings throughout the Holy Mitrian Empire for a number of decades, and for the better part of the past seven years I’ve been looking into them. Trying to get to the bottom of it all.” He said. “Mostly disappearances from all over the Empire; Karanese, Ragako, Shiganshina and even the capital itself. I originally thought it was the Vampires that were behind it, that the Garrison members stationed at Forts Slava, Liberio, Yarckle and Orrund weren’t as affective at their jobs as they should have been, but then I stumbled on…certain evidence which suggested possible military involvement. Possibly going above even the Commanders of the other Regiments, to the nobles and even the King himself. But I never knew exactly what was happening.”

Blue eyes once more locked with gold.

“You’re saying it’s a slave trade? With whom? And why?”

“You’re not stupid, Eyebrows. You already know. You just don’t want to entertain the possibility it could be true.” It was Levi who looked away this time. “I can’t blame you because it’s fucking disgusting. Another cruel, barbaric practice of the sort my coven is sworn against.”

“Living blood bags.” They all flinched when Hanji said it.

 Levi nodded. “Yes. They take soldiers from the Legion to make them soldiers for their cause, but they take civilians as cattle.”

“Which Night Lord are they selling to?”

“All four of them.” He said. “Yeager is a lot of shitty things but he isn’t a fool and he’s damn persuasive. I wouldn’t call what they have a truce-the minute the Empire crumbles they’ll be back to snapping at each other’s throats like usual-but they’ve made an alliance for the sake of crushing your resistance. And it’s a storm that’s been brewing unchecked for quite a while.”

“You serve Night Lord Yeager,” Mike said, “so why are you sabotaging your own supply line?”

“Because the Night Lord Yeager I serve isn’t the Night Lord Yeager you’re thinking.” He said. “Zeke can go fuck himself with a silver stake for all I care. Night, if I could still pick one up without burning my hands off I’d shove it so far up his…” he cut himself off with a feral growl, eyes flashing brighter, and Petra and the others shifted in discomfort. “My brat believes that all life is precious but he understands that some life has to be taken during war to protect what needs protecting. Ours is a family, not a hive mind, so he doesn’t practice the absolute control the others do but he has laid down laws.”

“And those are?” Farlan pressed

“No wanton killing and no consumption of human blood.” Silence fell again with all the force of a dropped boulder. It was hard to tell if the Vampire was amused or bored.

“But,” Hanji finally said, “how do you eat? You need blood to survive, don’t you?”

“Animals, when we’re away from home. Each other when we’re not.”

“Animals and… _Maria, Erwin, did you hear that? They’re practically vegetarians!_ ” The scientist cringed at the Vampire’s disgruntled hiss. “Oh, sorry Levi. I forgot that you have better hearing now.”

“Not anymore I don’t, shit head!”

Isabelle laughed and Farlan cracked a smile. “Can we let him down now?” she asked. “It’s him. It’s obvious it’s him. Big brother isn’t danger-.”

“I think he’s proven quite the opposite, Isabelle.” Farlan caught her arm and kept her from going any closer to the cell. “Even with the entire Legion here we can’t be certain we can contain him and it’ll be a while yet before we know for certain if we can trust him not to go berserk.”

“He’s right. There’s no way for us to be certain this isn’t some elaborate puppetry and it will take some time before we can determine if what he’s saying has any truth to it.” Erwin stepped up to the bars. “If what you say about your covens beliefs are true then you wouldn’t leave the kidnapped victims to be sold. Yet none of them have ever returned.”

“And you want to know what we did with them?”

The blonde nodded.

“It should be damn obvious why we don’t march them right back across the border into the lion’s den; they’d be sold again or killed for what they’d seen.” He said. “I can’t tell you exactly what happens in the interim because that’s not the end of the shit stick I’m in charge of but we take them in. Offer sanctuary. They live in Ferolind Village at the foot of the Keep.”

“Utgard Keep is Zeke’s-.”

“Zeke hasn’t held Utgard for the better part of four centuries, Sniffer. Not since Eren ran him off with Mikasa Arlert and Kirshneigh.” He said. “My brat’s taken quite the exception to his sire. Hates him with everything he has. And an angry Sanguine-Puppeteer, as you call him-isn’t a pretty sight.”

“Your Night Lord is-?”

“Eren Yeager, yes. Did you think Zeke had just suddenly decided to stop fielding his most effective weapon?” Levi snorted. “It wasn’t his choice. That weapon sprouted a will of its own, then a mind of its own, then teeth of its own and bit him in the ass. Though you wouldn’t think him capable of much more than tripping on his own feet just seeing him.”

“A normal Vampire can become a Night Lord?” Hanji almost tripped over herself as she scrambled forwards and pressed herself against the bars. From the way Levi’s eyes widened he seemed half-afraid she’d manage to bust through them and lunge at him. “Does that mean all Night Lords were normal Vampires once? If so where did Vampires come from? Could you possibly evolve into a Night Lord as well and gain the ability to turn others?”

“Not a fucking clue to your first two questions and probably not to your third. Eren just happens to be the type of little shit that breaks reality.” He said. “I was told a bare bones approximation of what happened but it didn’t have much detail. I get the impression he doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Recognizing a carrot when he saw one, Erwin frowned. “What do you want?”

“Not much.” Levi shot back. “I won’t ask you to let me out, Eyebrows. Night, I won’t even ask you to let me down. But I do like my wings and would prefer you unpin them before they shrivel up and fall off!”

It wasn’t an unreasonable request. Erwin nodded at the others and, after a brief exchange of glances, Connie and Thomas were pushed into the cell to remove the daggers. The raven hissed softly in pain when the blades were pulled free, then stretched the leathery appendages as best he could in the small space before folding them against his back. The younger two all but bolted from the cell.

“Like I said I don’t have all the details and had to piece it together from a couple different sources but from what I’ve managed to gather this is the story.” He said. “Disregard the fact that the holes left by missing information are big enough for a horse to fall through and try to bear with me.”

  _His talons threw sparks as they cut slash marks down the walls of the keep, arresting his momentum enough to combine with his grace and prevent him from slipping on the patch of ice he landed on. The clan mate who was attacking him wasn’t so lucky and went down; the brunet ripped off his head before he could get up and tore out his nape for good measure._

_His fifth in twenty minutes._

_Red eyes skittered wildly about the open room, leaping between the eaves and running along the dark ceiling. Once certain no more of his ‘siblings’ were coming after him the Etheralki took off down one of the crumbling buildings’ many hallways, using the pull which had once robbed him of any sense of self to his advantage. Letting it lead him towards the beast which had ruined his life. Ruined him._

_His life. What had his life been? He couldn’t remember. Even after shaking free the monster’s claws his memories hadn’t returned. Childhood? Family? Nothing. It was like repairing holes in a wooden cup. You could fill it up again but the water that had originally been there would never come back._

_All he knew now was his first name, and even that was fuzzy and hard to fully grasp, and the surname which bound him to the monster. Yeager._

_He hated that name. Hated it. Hated him. Hated what he’d made him but it was all that he had. And who would he be without it?_

_Eren, who was a monster. Eren, who should be dead. Eren, who didn’t know who or what he was beyond a parasite and killer._

_Just Eren._

_It had been pointless and empty to just listen, to just obey, and he’d thought he’d feel relieved once he’d free himself but now it just felt as if everything-time, his grasp on reality, the world-was slipping away from him like sand through his fingers. The others no longer recognized him. Attacked him on sight. And he wanted to kill Zeke._

_So he would. He’d kill Zeke and all the others with him and the Night Lord would drag him down too because he was still his sire and even if he’d shaken off his control they were still tied together. Would be forever, as much as Eren hated it, unless through some miracle he himself became a Night Lord. But that was impossible._

_The bastard was there. Just ahead. On the ramparts. But the others were blocking his path. They snarled and hissed and he snarled back and when they lunged he seized them with his monstrous powers and forced them to shatter their own bodies against the walls._

_Monster. Monster! They were all monsters and they could never be anything more than that. They shouldn’t exist. He shouldn’t exist. They all needed to die._

_He’d make sure they would._

_Zeke was stronger than he was. His anger wasn’t enough to defeat him with. The powers he hated were all that saved him. His instincts what took him away on swift wings before his injuries could claim him. Eren flew until he couldn’t anymore and then he fell, crushing to the earth in the heart of the Whisper Wood as dawn turned the sky pink._

_The sun. The sun was coming. The sun would free him with its burning rays from the prison of his twisted, long dead but still moving body and maybe then he could remember. Maybe then he could go back home. Go back to the family he’d had, once, long ago._

_He had had a family, hadn’t he? And they’d loved him, hadn’t they? Yes, he decided as blisters formed where the sunlight hit his skin, they had to have. They had missed him all these years he hadn’t been there. They’d be happy to have him home at last._

_The last thing that registered before unconsciousness overwhelmed him with the heavy weight of thick fabric falling over his body to shield him from the light._

* * *

 

_When Eren woke up he was lying on his back on a hay strewn floor and a chicken was sitting on his chest. Confused, in pain and entirely lost as to why in the Night the afterlife included chickens the brunet stared at the bird only to have it stare back. Considering what those beady eyes belonged to, its gaze was incredibly intimidating._

_It took flight in surprise when the door of the coop flew open, showering him in white feathers, and landed on one of the nest shelves above. Slowly, his entire body stiff and achy and covered in half-healed wounds, he sat up with a groan and looked over at the open door._

_Not quite certain he was really seeing what he thought he was Eren blinked hard a couple times, then, when the girl standing in the doorway didn’t disappear, rubbed his garnet eyes._

_Still there._

_She was average height for her age and thin, dressed in a pale pink dress. Her hair was long and black and hung about her pointed shoulders and her eyes were dark, regarding him with a mix of curiosity and wariness. In her hand was a clay mug, filled with what smelled like blood._

_Eren’s stomach growled and his fangs slid from their sheaths to their full length. Who was she? What was she doing there? Where in the Night did she get blood from? Why was he in a chicken coop?_

_Once certain he wasn’t going to launch himself at her in an attack the little girl walked bravely forwards and held out the mug. The brunet stared, dumb struck. She couldn’t have been more than ten years old and yet here she was offering a Vampire a cup of blood._

_What was happening?_

_Not knowing what else to do Eren accepted the mug. The clay was warm against his palms and fingers, the red liquid unclotted and appearing as if it had been heated._

_“It’s from one of the chickens; I killed it to make dinner and figured…I should give you this.” She pushed her hair back. “It’s probably not the greatest thing in the world, waking up in a hen house, but the cabin had windows and you were already starting to burn when I found you.”_

_He looked down at the cup, up at her, and then back again and took a drink. It was a little bit too hot and burned his tongue slightly but it wasn’t terrible as far as taste went._

_“You don’t have to sit out here all night. The suns down so you can…come in…now.” She blinked at him shyly. Eren blinked back and took another drink. “Can you…speak?”_

_The brunet cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. Screeching hissing and snarling didn’t count as speaking and it took him a moment to make his mouth work in the correct sequence to form words. “Yes?” his voice was rough, like the bristles on a cat’s tongue._

_She smiled. “Is that a question?” Eren shook his head and finished off the cup. “What’s your name?”_

_“Eren.” He said, watching the open sore on the back of his hand beginning to close. “Eren Yeager. Until recently I belonged to the Night Lord of Utgard but I escaped. I tried to kill him because he’s a monster and deserves to die but I failed.” He pulled his knees to his chest and propped his chin up on them. “I don’t know where I belong, now. Or if I even belong anywhere at all.”_

_“Everyone should have somewhere to belong; you can stay with me, if you like.” She picked up the cup that he’d left beside him and held out her hand. It was smaller than his and delicate, but calloused from hard work. Despite the chill of his flesh she didn’t flinch. “I’m Mikasa Ackerman, and you should come inside. Dinner will be ready soon.”_

“Mikasa Ackerman?” Erwin repeated. “Relation?”

“It was four hundred years ago and we look somewhat alike so I suppose it’s possible, if unlikely.” Levi said. “She was ten at the time that she and Eren met and had been on her own for just under six months, her parents having been murdered. He lived out of the chicken coop to protect himself from the sun and they took care of each other; Eren helped her around the cabin and she taught him what it meant to live for yourself. She saw the world as cruel but beautiful, and for him this ultimately morphed into the belief that all life was precious. During this time he solidified his opinions on what was necessary death and what was wanton murder and fed only from animals, slowly turning his eyes from red to gold. They lived there for five years before everything went to shit.”

“What happened, Big brother?”

The raven sighed. “This is one of those places that Eren refuses to give insight into and Mikasa doesn’t remember much. As I understand it a man from the village saw Eren while he was out hunting deer and reported him to the Empire.” He said. “The Legion was dispatched to deal with him but the villagers took it on themselves to deal with the ‘traitor’ and attacked her while he was away.”

“They attacked a defenseless fifteen year old girl?” Krista sounded horrified. “Even if she was a collaborator there should have been a trial! Vigilantism is against the law!”

“Things were different back then ‘Princess’. And ‘defenseless’ would not be an accurate description of her considering that the only reason she didn’t die with her parents was the fact that she turned the tables on the murderer.” He said. “Twenty men went to the cabin and only two thirds of that group came back.”

Eld muttered what sounded like “holy shit” and more than a few of those present couldn’t help but agree with him.

“When Eren came back the cabin was in flames. She was barely alive when he pulled her out and he did the only thing he could think of.” Levi said. “There’s more to conversion than bite and bury, though, and it was only luck that the conditions that night were perfect for the ritual. I don’t know if it was his unnatural state of being without a Night Lord or necessity that led to his ‘evolution’ to use the words of the resident crazy but if he hadn’t been one already by then he became a Night Lord that night. Mikasa was the first to join his coven and is still his right hand.”

“That doesn’t explain-.”

“I’m getting there, Sniffer.” The vampire adjusted his wrists in the grip of the chains. “The others were less open than she was with explaining exactly what led to them being in Utgard but it was never force on Eren’s part; otherwise fatal injuries caused by others or just by accidents or rescues from…less than favorable situations of all sorts which left them with nothing left to stay human for. Another Death Dealer, Kirschneigh, came next and then there was Arlert, an Etheralki. They were the original four who fought with Zeke and ran him out of Utgard Keep; the ability to harden your skin doesn’t do much for you when you’re fighting something that can hijack your body. And becoming a Night Lord only made my brat even more formidable than the first time they’d fought. The bastard escaped, and it wouldn’t be the last time, but we’ll get him eventually.”

Briefly, the fierce look from before flashed across his face.

“Ymir, another Death Dealer, popped up from Night only knows where about a century later and Eren took her in like a stray cat. Bodt, a Corporalki, was the last the join before me.”

“Yes,” Erwin said, “about you. How did you end up as one of Eren’s men if you were abducted by Zeke’s? And what did you mean when you said you asked to be turned? It’s more than well known that you hated Vampires.”

“Things change.” With enough abruptness to make the gathered Scouts jump Levi wrapped himself up in his wings. “It’s sun up. Come back later.”

“We unpinned you in exchange for information!”

“On the brat and how he ran off Zeke. I gave you that and then some, Sniffer.”

“Levi!” Hanji whined. “That’s not fair!”

“It’s perfectly fair! I’m chained up in silver and hanging in your shitty basement! At current I trust you only slightly more than you seem to be willing to trust me and until that changes my only defense against ‘accidentally’ misplaced blades is information! Now go and bother Berner, I’m trying to sleep!”

“We’ll be down to speak with you again later.” Erwin turned towards the stairs. “The entire night passed without us realizing it; you’re not the only one who would appreciate the rest.”

After shooting the Vampire looks which ranged from hostile to curious the others followed him up the stairs.

“Levi’s set a conditional framework around his answers which both ensures his safety as much as is possible in his situation and leans towards more evidence of his state of mind not having changed.” He said. “This whole situation makes me nervous but for now we’ll play his game until there’s enough proof, one way or another, to pass judgement. Get some sleep, all of you. Squad Leader Magnolia, Lance Corporal Church, I expect the pair of you to report to my office at noon.”


	5. Chapter 4

 

Isabelle was standing outside of her door when he got there, attempting to wrestle her wild hair into a pair of pigtails. Farlan observed her struggles for a full minute with a raised eyebrow before speaking.

“Brushing it might help.”

Hands still in her hair she spun on her heel and stuck her tongue out at him. The blonde was of half a mind to suggest she watch herself before she ended up like Oluo, who had nearly bitten his off a couple of weeks back, but decided against it. “We don’t have time for that! We were supposed to be in the Commander’s office five minutes ago.”

“If you’d woken up earlier-.”

“I did wake up earlier! I just had better things to do than brush my hair!”

His face settled into an expression of concern when she looked away. “Like what?”

“I had to do some calculations.”

Farlan blinked. “You hate math. Even after Levi taught you how to do it you’d always-.”

“Complain that I couldn’t, I know! Why do you think it took so long Farlan?” Through the noon sun spilling through the window he could see that there were the beginnings of dark circles under her eyes. “I have enough.”

“Enough?” he repeated as they started down the hall. “Enough for what?”

“For tea.” The red head sped her pace and disappeared around the corner.

Farlan shook his head and looked down at the floor beneath his boots. Beneath the wooden planks was the dungeon and in that dungeon hung the vampire that had once been his brother. Showed signs that he still was, at least in some capacity. But he wasn’t fully convinced.

Yet Isabelle had thrown all caution to the wind the minute he’d opened his mouth and spoken with their brother’s voice. Because she wanted to believe it. He’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t guilty of wanting the same. Wanting to believe that their brother had returned after almost two decades. That he was simply afflicted by his condition rather than a monster so that they could go back to something like what they’d always had. But he couldn’t afford to delude himself. To believe without solid proof.

The last thing that Levi had said to him before he’d disappeared that night was ‘protect Magnolia’, so he would. Even from him.

Isabelle was already standing in the Commander’s office when he got there, her posture stiff and flaming hair sticking up in all directions. She wouldn’t look at him. Farlan sighed, saluted, and then relaxed.

Erwin set down his pen and slid the stack of papers he’d been working on into the top drawer of his desk.

“As I have little doubt has been made clear we’re playing tit for tat with our…guest downstairs.” He said. “It’s to be expected out of Levi, I suppose, your brother always did have loose morals and I doubt protecting himself would ever be something he’d regret, but I don’t like leaving control of matters in his hands. So we’re going to take control of the game by making offers of our own instead of asking for his price.”

“How do you intend to do that, Sir?” Farlan asked.

“By anticipating what he’ll ask for and preempting him.” He said. “And the first order through which we’ll do this will be achieved by offering the one thing we can be certain he’ll need.

“Blood.”

The other man nodded. “And the fact that he’s forbidden from the consumption of human blood only makes it easier for us to contain the situation.” Erwin said. “Butchers have little use for the blood from the cattle they slaughter and it shouldn’t take much to convince one of them to sell.”

“You’re sending us to the market?” Farlan glanced over at Isabelle again, who was still looking out the window at the sparing green. She’d guessed, or had known. Maybe had heard from someone else while she should have been sleeping.

“I am.” He said. “Be back by nightfall.”

They left the Commander’s office after that indirect dismissal and departed the barracks, headed towards the stables.

“Isabelle.” No reaction. “Izzy.” She opened the nearest stall and continued to ignore him. “If we’re going to get that tea we should head to the store first. It’s on the opposite side of the Civilian District from the market.”

For a moment Isabelle looked as if she didn’t quite believe he was serious but then she smiled.

“You’re right. We have until nightfall but there’s no way to know how many stalls we’ll have to go to before we can get a butcher who won’t ask too many questions.”

The pair led their horses out of the stables and pulled themselves up onto their backs. The rhythmic thud of hooves against the ground and the twittering of birds in the trees around them were the only sounds for nearly an hour as they made their way toward the Civilian District behind Wall Rose.

“I’m not trying to upset you, Iz.”

She sighed and looked over. “You’re going to tell me that you’re only concerned for my safety and are just trying to protect me.”

“He’s different than the others but that doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous. I’m worried that you’re letting Levi’s face blind you to the threat that he could pose.” Farlan said. “You want him back. So do I. But he’d be the first to kick both our asses for being stupid.”

“I never thought you didn’t miss him. Never think that.”

“I don’t.” The spread, green leaves threw dappled shadows across their path. Their horses snorted. “I’m open to things turning out to be a ‘happily ever after’. It doesn’t make a difference to me that he’s not human anymore, _if_ it is him.”

“I know.”

Grey eyes regarded her with concern. “I promised to protect you.”

Her grip on the reins tightened. “I can’t guarantee anything, Farlan, but I’ll do my best to remain reasonably wary until we have something which could really be considered proof.” She said. “For the sake of your sanity if nothing else. I don’t want to be the person who turns you into Moblit.”

The dark blonde’s failed efforts to keep himself from laughing resulted in an undignified snort. One of the members of the Garrison manning the gate sent them both odd looks.

Pearls and Dragons was a small dark and out of the way store; hot and dry and fragrant. Farlan had never been a fan of tea, its taste or its smell, and doubted he’d ever understand exactly what it was that Levi had seen in what was essentially flavored water.

Isabelle made quick work of ordering a couple ounces of overpriced dried leaves and then they were back on their horses again, heading towards the market on the opposite side of the Civilian District.

The outdoor market was filled to the brim with the pulse of life as people went about their daily business, buying and selling and talking together. Laughter, conversation and the bark of merchants hawking their wares rose into a clamor as they approached. Woman perused stalls of colorful fruits and ripe vegetables. Men drove carts and carried boxes. Children ranging in age from six to ten ran about beneath the shadow of the awnings spread above the stalls like the fins of colorful predatory fish.

The crush of people was so thick that the two Scouts were forced to dismount and tie up their horses before forging their way into the crowd.

The sickly sweet smell of raw meat led the pair to the nearest butcher stall. A number of people, fairly better dressed than the surrounding rabble, surrounded the stall ordering cuts of beef and pork and lamb. The large man’s massive knife flashed silver, cutting through bone with a solid thunk. Sweat glistened on his broad brow.

They approached once the group had moved on and the butcher looked up, observing them with beady eyes.

“Not often that I see soldiers here.” His voice was a harsh grunt. He straightened up, leaving the blade embedded in the wooden cutting block. “You don’t usually get paid enough to come within twenty feet of my stall. So what brings you here today?”

“We’re here on the orders of the Commander of the Scouting Legion to purchase what you don’t normally make any money on.” Farlan folded his arms across his chest. Isabelle glared. “You killed that this morning?”

“Few hours ago. Why?”

“Do you still have the blood?”

The butcher stared, picking up a cloth and wiping his hands. “Why do you ask, Scout?”

“Because the Vampire in our basement needs to eat something.” He said dryly.

The man dropped the cloth in surprise. “What in Sina’s name are you lot doing with a Vampire in your basement? You’re supposed to be hunting them, not keeping them as pets!”

“The White Wolf has information that we need.” Isabelle’s glare had only intensified. “We can’t have him keeling over from starvation before he spills.”

Farlan doubted he’d ever have the privilege of seeing such a massive man be made to go paper white by someone a third his size again but the invocation of the feared title was enough to end the matter then and there. A couple coins saw them lugging a small bucket of cow’s blood back to the barracks.

Both Farlan and Isabelle ignored the horrified stares that people sent them.

It was an hour before nightfall that they made it back, stabled their horses and then reported to the Commander’s office. Hanji and Mike were already there.

“The others aren’t coming?” Isabelle looked around the room as Farlan set the blood down on top of the desk.

“They never knew Levi and don’t need to be present for what he’ll tell us tonight. So I didn’t call them. It’ll minimize the likelihood that he’ll refuse to speak on the matter again.” His chair scraped back as he rose to his feet. The Commander picked up the heavy cup sitting on his desk. “We may be able to coax him awake with the blood. Let’s head down.”

They filed out of the office and down the dungeons stairs. Levi hadn’t moved from where they’d last seen him, dark wings wrapped tight about his body with only his bound wrists visible. After about three minutes, with a leathery rattle, they parted enough to allow a single golden eye to blink blearily out at them.

“Morning, Shorty!” Hanji’s bright shout was met with a disgruntled grumble. Levi closed his wings again. “Oh, don’t be like that! We brought you breakfast!”

“You couldn’t wait for another half an hour Shitty Glasses?” he grumbled. “You’re missing people.”

“The people here are the ones who have some form of connection to you. The one’s I thought you’d be most comfortable sharing your story with.” Erwin said.

His wings parted again, this time revealing both eyes. “So that’s your game?”

“Not my game. Yours.”

Another snort. “Shitty manipulative eyebrows.” Levi finally disentangled himself and settled his wings behind his back. “Let me guess, you want me to tell you what happened after I was abducted? How I ended up with Eren?”

“And how you ended up a Vampire.” He said. “In return, you get the blood.”

“You’re asking me to tell you about two years’ worth of events. That would take more than one night to get through.”

“Then only tell us what we absolutely need to know.”

The raven huffed. “How are we going to do this, then? Unless you intend to let me down I don’t exactly have hands to hold that cup with.”

“We’re not letting you down.” Erwin said.

“I’ll hold it!” Hanji made a grab for the cup, much to Levi’s clear displeasure, but Farlan pulled it out of reach before she could get her hands on it.

“Somehow, Major, I get the feeling that he wouldn’t appreciate your…help.”

“You’re right, he wouldn’t, but that’s just typical of our long lost little clean freak.”

The Death Dealer growled.

Containing a grimace as Hanji poured the blood a little bit too enthusiastically into the cup, causing it to splash over the rim and onto his hands.

“Tch. Are you capable of doing anything without making a mess?”

“Of course not, Shorty! I live to annoy you!”

Ignoring both the overly excitable Major and the sticky substance now covering his fingers Farlan pushed open the door of the cell. Though well aware a blow from the hanging vampire’s wings or feet could easily prove fatal he didn’t show hesitance in walking up to him, or in putting his hand far too close to the other’s fangs for comfort.

Plainly, the stereotypical nefarious image of vampire’s drinking blood from wine glasses while not on attack was false. Three inch canines led to difficulty with the circular rim and, after an almost comical struggle and a generous amount of the clatter of bone against metal he ended up having to awkwardly drink out of the corner of his mouth.

“Big brother, do you need a straw?”

Bound wrists didn’t prevent him from communicating with his middle finger and both Hanji and Isabelle erupted into a fit of rollicking laughter. Farlan left the cell as soon as the cup was finished and used Hanji’s jacket to wipe his hands.

“Eeee!”

“You’re the one who spilled it on me in the first place.”

“Farlan!” The Major whined, turning in a circle in a failed effort to survey the damage. “You and Levi are so much alike it’s easy to believe that you’re actually related even though I know you’re not!”

“Levi.” The Commander’s voice drew everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand. “Tell us what happened.”

“I will, in a moment.” He said. “Let me ask you a question first, Eyebrows. You haven’t told anyone I’m here, have you?”

The silence was answer enough. Golden eyes close, brow furrowing in a way which made him look as if he were praying for patience.

“You Night-forsaken moron!” He finally spat after a long moment. ”You really shouldn’t have done that, Eyebrows Tree. The old saying ‘curiosity kills the cat’ has validity now and again and, I hate to tell you, at the moment _you’re_ the cat!”

“I’ve been discrete-!”

“’Discrete’ my ass!” He snapped. “How do you think I knew that you’d stuck your nose into things? I know what they know, what Eren and the others know, because we’ve been tracing it from their end.”

“They haven’t sent anything my way yet.” Blue eyes calmly regarded the agitated raven. “What makes you think-?”

“That they’ll come after you now?” Levi drawled. “Because before now they had a bigger problem to worry about. Me. But now that you’ve let them know that I’m not howling at their door any longer they’ll turn their attention to lesser troubles. Like you.” His golden eyes glowed in the dim light of the dungeon. “Don’t turn your back on the Military Police. It won’t be Death Dealers they send for you.”


	6. Chapter 5

A feeling of unease had settled over the small group in the wake of his warning. Hanji had gone still. Mike shifted his weight from foot to foot in a motion which was almost undetectable. Isabelle tugged on one of her pigtails and Farlan bit his lip. Erwin didn’t know what to think.

“It’s been a long time since Nile and I have been on friendly terms and I’ll admit to not knowing him as much as I once did.” He said. “But he wouldn’t have a hand in something like this. As much as he believes in following orders without asking questions he does have some morals.”

“We could debate the truth of that statement all night, Eyebrows, but I’m not talking about Dok.” Levi said. “My Uncle wouldn’t know morals if they ran up and ripped his dick off. I should know. He raised me like a fighting dog then tossed me away into the gutter.”

Neither Isabelle nor Farlan appeared particularly pleased by the mention of Kenny Ackerman. The bad blood was obvious in the steel in all three pairs of eyes and the Commander was struck once more by just how uncannily alike they really were.

“You have proof? Some lead? Some trace from your end?”

“Do you think he’d still be breathing if I did?” the Death Dealer growled and bared his teeth. The blood he’d drank had left the massive canines tinted a haunting shade of red. “The shitty bastard is a lot more careful than the rest of them. Covered his trail real fucking well. But I’d bet my fangs on his involvement. Unfortunately hunches aren’t enough to shift a name into the ‘necessary death’ pile.”

“There might be a way around that.” Farlan grumbled, half under his breath, as his hand strayed to his dagger. Isabelle made a noise of agreement.

And to think he’d almost forgotten they’d been the worst kind of criminals, once upon a time.

“Are you offering your services as a hit man to a Vampire, Church?” Mike’s tone was half joking and half tense.

“Murder by proxy still violates the brat’s law but if you want to put a dagger in him of your own accord I’m going to pretend I didn’t know anything about it.” The raven’s tone was a bit too serious for Erwin’s liking. “What happened to being wary?”

Grey eyes narrowed. “Priorities.”

Levi snorted. “Allow me to steer this shit out of dangerous waters before the two of you do something to get yourselves or someone else killed.” He said. “Just to make things clear, Eyebrows, you want to know about my capture, my rescue and my reasoning behind making the decision to join the brat?”

The blonde’s nod was curt. The hanging Death Dealer let out a long suffering sigh.

“Let’s just start from the beginning then.”

_“Take care of Magnolia! Mitras knows she can’t keep herself out of trouble!” He didn’t wait around long enough to catch the other’s response. He fired off his hooks and swung away in another direction, headed away into the dark trees. The raven could tell from the outcry of disgruntled hissing and hasty wing beats that he’d gotten exactly what he wanted._

_The entire hoard was after him. His family would make it out of the Whisper Wood alive. He didn’t need to worry about them any longer, but rather about himself instead._

_Levi looked down at the sole remaining blade in his hands. Under the broken moonlight the keen edge glowed deadly silver. He’d told Isabelle that he hadn’t any intention to fight with the fanged freaks and when he’d said it he hadn’t but now, as he swung through the dark and rapidly chilling trees which edged the Glacial Expanse and the Snow Blind Mountains beyond it, headed towards the end of his life, his conviction shifted._

_‘Flee until you run out of gas, then turn round and kill as many of them as you can. Don’t go down alone.’_

_There was nothing to fear from a death that went uninterrupted and to insure that it didn’t his aim would have to be exact. A silver blade through the heart was the only thing which could stop the fallen from being made to get back up._

_The bastards were gaining on him now. Levi cursed and opened the throttle further, burning through his gear’s reserves of fuel even faster than before. It had begun to snow; fat white flakes broke against his exposed skin with harsh slaps, rapidly ripping away all feeling in his limbs, but he relished the cold and the pain and the frantic rhythm of his pulse in his ears._

_They’d be some of the last things he felt, and even as uncomfortable as they were they were signs of life._

_As was the sensation of plummeting when the gas finally gave out. Preserving as much control as he could the Lance Corporal let the wires pull taut and swing him forwards. Disengaging the hooks at the apex of his descent and tucking his shoulder. Hitting the frozen earth with a harsh thud and rolling up onto all fours, blade to hand._

_The first of the fiends was on him in an instant, its speed and momentum enough to assist the silver blade in cleanly bisecting it. Showered in gore and dissolving Leech bits Levi pivoted and lopped off the heads of two more before ducking beneath the swipe of a third._

_The Vampire snarled, its red eyes a flame in the dark, and lunged for him again. Following his movements like a honing beacon. A Death Dealer, then. If luck was on his side it would be a Heart Seeker, and not a Shadow Hunter or an Aura Sight._

_It seemed, for that moment, that luck was and he dispatched the beast near as quickly as the others. Barely saw the glint of moonlight in time to avoid the shower of frozen needles the Corporalki a handful of yards away sent at him._

_He pounced and drove the blade clear through the miserable creature’s chest. With a horrific shriek the thing exploded._

_The others had surrounded him. An exponential number seeming to pour from the darkness without a tangible source. Foes like the hydra from the Hercules myth; where one fell two more seemed to sprout up from the frozen ground. Exhaustion hung heavy off his frame like a thick quilt, made all the worse by the cold which dulled his reaction time and stole the tactile feeling from his fingers._

_Time to make an exit._

_But he wasn’t fast enough. The silver blade, painted red and grey with ash and blood, had barely drawn his when his form was overwhelmed by a paralyzing pain. Electricity crackled over his skin and shot down his spine like a live wire. His hand opened involuntarily and the blade fell to the forest floor with a clatter._

_‘No!’_

_A Death Dealer pounced on his back and brought him to the ground with its weight, slamming his head against the unyielding earth._

* * *

 

_If the forest had been cold than the cell in which he woke up was gelid. His gear had been removed, ripped off most likely judging by the torn straps and throbbing bruises, but the beasts had left him his ruined uniform and shredded cloak. Snow drifted silently in through a small, crumbling window which showed a view of the glacier outside. He was in pain. Frizzons of static shooting through stiff, twitching muscle with every motion._

_Slowly, what had happened came filtering back into the sphere of his awareness. The expedition. Getting separated. Leading them away. Being captured._

_He’d failed. He should have buried that damned blade in his chest the moment his feet touched the ground but his pride had been too much! He was Humanity’s Strongest. He couldn’t go down alone. Without a fight. Because of that shitty decision he’d soon be fighting for the enemy and the thought of the damage he’d be capable of as a vampire made him physically sick._

_He had to get up. Had to make some effort to escape. Couldn’t just sit there and accept a pair of fangs being driven into his throat, damn it, but he couldn’t. The most he could manage through the pain of whatever that electric fuck had done to him was a feeble scrabbling of his legs. He’d have to wait until the pain went away._

_But then he fell victim to the cold instead. Living muscle seized up and blood all but froze in his veins and after exhausting himself with the mere effort of falling onto his back the raven was given no choice but to accept his fate._

_With any luck at all, any mercy on the part of the cruel universe, the Legion would be able to put an end to him before anything irreparable was done._

_Levi lost track of time. Days bled into nights until he was aware of nothing but an indistinguishable ache. Bruises. Cold. Hunger. Thirst. Probably a few bones broken too. Not that all of that would matter much longer._

_Would he die in that little room before they came for him? Maybe rot away into a useless skeleton. With the cold that seemed unlikely but if things went on like this much longer he was certain to freeze to death._

_Maybe he already had. Was there any way for him to really tell?_

_There was no moonlight on the night they finally showed up. His skin had turned white for all the snow that had come to roost in it. He couldn’t recall the ability to shiver. What did the word ‘warm’ mean? He’d forgotten._

_His legs had frozen solid what seemed like ages before and could no longer move. The Vampires dragged him along the dirty floor behind them, an action which once would have inflamed his neurosis, but now only elicited a resigned irritation. He was already dirty. And frost bitten. What did dust and mud matter now?_

_The table he was dropped on was hard. Probably made of stone. A towering blonde stood over him. Looming. Glaring. Not Eyebrows. Looked different. Clawed fingers pried his jaw apart, pouring a cup of red liquid across most of his face._

_It smelled like death and tasted like iron and he knew, instantly, that it was blood. Vampire blood. A voice in the back of his head screamed at him not to swallow but for all its urgency it went unheeded. The liquid blocked his airway. It was swallow or drown and instinct chose for him._

_He was seized roughly by the hair, his head bent back until his spine threatened to snap. As cold lips and sharp fangs pressed against the pale arch of his throat, just over the panicked flutter of a weak pulse, the raven squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to witness the end of his own humanity._

_But the bite never came. The fangs remained pressed against skin but didn’t bear down. A chorus of angry hisses cut off and then the sounds of slaughter were in the room with him. Breaking bone and tearing flesh and shattering stone. Levi tried to open his eyes but couldn’t. Couldn’t move. Not because of how weak he’d become or the cold but because something had taken hold of his body and he was no longer in control._

_A hand, large with long fingers, rested on his cheek. Smearing blood across grimy skin. It would have felt cold, had he not himself been frozen, but now seared against his flesh despite its gentleness. The power drew back enough that he could finally see._

_The vampires that had dragged him there were in pieces and the tall blonde was pinned halfway up the wall, bound by the power which seemed to emanate from the raised hand of the brunet that stood over him. Like the others in the room, a two toned blonde and a woman with a red scarf, his face was hidden behind a wooden wolf mask. Golden eyes peered down at him in a mixture of what looked like pity and sorrow as that gentle hand slid over his eyes and pushed the lids closed._

_“You’re safe. Rest now.”_

_That damned power wrapped its coils around him again and dragged him down into peaceful darkness._

“That was Eren? That was Eren! But I thought he was an Etheralki. You’re telling us he knocked you out?”

It was clear that the raven didn’t appreciate being interrupted and the look he sent Hanji could only be described as baleful. “Etheralki can use their powers in a manner which to some degree mimics a Corporalki if they know what they’re doing. But they require physical contact to do it.”

“But how does it work?” the Major was back to attempting to squeeze her way through the bars. “If his ability is to….of course! It’s just another way of manipulating someone through their blood! He dropped your blood pressure and knocked you out that way! Maria, Shorty, you’re a miracle in regards to the amount of information you have on vampires, being one yourself now! You could singlehandedly-.”

“Do you want me to finish the shitty story or not?”

Hanji had the decency to look somewhat chided. “Oh, right. Sorry, Levi.”

“No you’re not!” The raven groused, slumping in his chains. “You’d get along terrifyingly well with the brat. He’s a lot like Isabelle when she gets overly excited.”

“Big brother!” The red head whined amidst laughter from the others.

“I’ll make sure future interruptions are kept to a minimum, Levi.” The Commander said. “Why don’t you get on to the next part of what you have to tell us? There are only so many hours in a night.”

  
  



	7. Chapter 6

_He didn’t know exactly how long it was, but a period of time was spent drifting in and out of consciousness always to find himself in the same place but never the same situation. The room was cavernous, filled with stained glass windows which may once have been beautiful but had since been broken and artlessly repaired, and stuffed with a number of beds at lopsided angles in a manner no doubt meant to mimic a hospital or infirmary. Wind howled outside. Candles lit the area with a soft glow. There was constantly the taste of something foul and herbal coating his tongue, though sometimes it was more fresh than others. Voices came and went. Calm voices. Worried voices. Male, mostly, though there was one clearly female voice which in his opinion held an uncalled for amount of sass for the situation._

_She sounded like a bitch._

_What in Maria had happened? He remembered being captured, the subsequent experience of his imprisonment and his…rescue? Second kidnapping? His tongue flicked against his teeth, confirming no fangs were present. Sheets had been heaped atop him. His limbs tingled with pins and needles but he could feel them again, and move them, if only barely._

_Once again he lost consciousness without getting information._

_When the time finally came that he regained consciousness and remained that way it was to find himself alone. Tired and dizzy, he sat up slowly on the sagging bed he’d been left lying on for who knew how long and blinked dry eyes against the weak light. From the look of the sky outside the windows sunset was minutes away but hadn’t quite gotten around to starting yet and the room around him was empty._

_His only company, aside from the wind, was a glass of what looked like brackish water and a note penned on thick parchment. Likely with a feather quill, but the look of the letters, in a looping hand that was…outdated, to say the least._

_‘Armin said that you’d be waking up soon and I wasn’t certain if I’d be awake when you did, so I left this here for you. Drink it. I’ll answer any questions that you have later.’_

_Drink something that looked like it was probably poisonous, or at the very least contaminated with a ridiculous amount of deadly bacteria, that-presumably-a Vampire had left for him just because the thing said so in a note? Under normal circumstances it would be a resounding ‘fucking hell no’ but at this point he was so parched he’d probably have drank a cup of blood if it was offered. Gritting his teeth he picked up the glass and recoiled, immediately realizing the source of the putrid coloring._

_Some sort of herbal potion. Most likely the thing he’d been being fed while in recovery. If it hadn’t killed him yet it probably wouldn’t do any harm to have another cup._

_It tasted worse than it smelled and it took everything he had not to spit it onto the stone floor. At least it offered some relief from the dry sensation which was far too similar to something nesting in his throat for his liking._

_Now to figure out exactly where he was and how best to get the hell out of there before any of his ‘hosts’ woke up and got around to doing whatever they intended to do with him. Unsteady on his feet after so long lying down and immediately regretting leaving the warm shelter of the piled-high blankets Levi got to his feet, cold nipping at his exposed toes, and headed for the door._

_No gear. No weapons. Barely anything to protect him from the cold outside. No choice but to hope that he could make it back to the Empire’s lands, if not Mitras itself, before hunger or thirst or frostbite or animals took him. Even if he failed it was better than ending up as one of them. He’d dodged a bullet already and wasn’t about to take the chance with another gun._

_The double doors which led into the room he’d woken up in were thick and wooden. They stuck when he tried to move them, only allowing themselves to be budged with an effort that was nearly monumental for his exhausted body, and opened with the great keening screech of long unoiled hinges. The hall outside was long and echoing and draped in thick shadows, lined with dust-laden tapestries tarnished suits of armor and more poorly repaired windows. The far end opened onto a landing, a grand staircase leading downwards into what was presumably a foyer._

_That would be where the front doors were, and that would thereby be his destination. Hopefully they wouldn’t be locked, or blocked, or difficult to open like the other shitty pair of doors he’d had to open. Levi couldn’t be certain without asking one of the residents-an option that held absolutely no appeal to him-it looked like he’d ended up in Utgard Keep._

_What the hell? Hadn’t Night Lord Yeager been the one that had captured him? Shouldn’t he have already been taken here and not to whatever frigid hellhole he’d wound up in after being abducted by the winged fucks?_

_It didn’t matter, damn it, he needed to get out of here. What did it make a difference to him that stupid Leeches were acting stupid?_

_Pausing only long enough to assure himself that the landing, staircase and entry room were indeed empty but for him the little raven took the steps four at a time and barreled through the front doors. Nearly ramming head first into the brunet who stood on the other side._

_Golden eyes went round in surprise at his sudden appearance, mouth dropping open and revealing the pointed tips of fangs. Reacting on instinct he stiff armed the Vampire out of his path and bolted to the right. Towards a downward slope which, from the distance he was at, seemed gentle enough for him to be able to descend without assuredly dying._

_“H-Hey! Come back! That’s a- **sweet Night!** ”_

_Distances were deceiving and the sound of the Vampire behind him taking off was drowned out by the sound of the wind shrieking in his ears and his mind blanking but for a sustained string of ‘Shit!’_

_Well, Levi thought as the frozen ground rushed ever closer, at least a puddle of pulp and broken bones wouldn’t make for the greatest soldier in the world._

_Cold fingers snagged a powerful grip on his ankle, arresting his fall at the same moment that it shifted the direction of his motion from down to forwards._

_“What the hell did you think you were doing, Scout? I don’t know if you’ve realized it but those wings on your back **aren’t** **real**!” He swung about wildly in the Vampire’s grip as it banked and wheeled through the narrow canyon the raven had inadvertently fallen into. The thing had talked? He’d heard fang-bearers snarl disjointed, often insulting, phrases from time to time but he’d never **ever** heard one of the things string an entire coherent sentence together. Let alone two! “I understand that you’ve been through a lot, you’re probably scared and confused, but throwing yourself off the side of a mountain doesn’t solve anything!”_

_The bastard said it like he’d purposefully jumped! Levi responded with his free foot. The brunet hissed in alarm when he made contact with his jaw, then his throat and collar bone._

_“Stop struggling! I’m going to drop you!” Falling and flying had been bad enough. Being tossed up like a rubber ball and caught again, this time around the chest by two clawed hands was even worse. “We’re going back to Utgard and we’re going to talk about this in a manner that’s at least somewhat rational!”_

_“I have nothing to say to a fucking fang-face!” In was only because of his captor’s supernatural hearing that he was able to catch the words the raven spat at him at all. “You’re all nothing but shitty monsters and all of you just need to die!”_

_“Hey! I won’t argue that we’re monsters but not all of us are the same!”_

_“Like hell you’re not, corpse brat!”_

_The snarl that the Vampire emitted rumbled through his chest and into his body, a powerful down stroke of his wings sending them both rocketing skywards over the lip of a massive wall of solid ice. The brunet banked harshly Westward, opposite the direction they’d come from, and skimmed across the wind-scoured arctic plateau. Pulling up only once they hung above the lip of the glacier._

_Leathery wings swept drifts of snow off over the abyss as they hung in place, poised over a yawning void, and for a moment the raven feared that he’d be dropped at any moment._

_“Look down.” He didn’t want to but doubted he had much choice. Compliance was met with the sight of the last thing he’d ever have expected._

_Situated at the base of the glacier, all but in the shadow of the coven’s stronghold, was a human village. Lighted windows glowed with warmth. Laughing people gathered in the square around a roaring bon-fire._

_“That is Ferolind Village, where you will live for the rest of your life with the others that we’ve saved. I cannot give you back what you had and for that I’m sorry but I won’t take all that you have left, your Humanity, away from you. Not like the others. But we have to speak first. And here isn’t the best place for that.”_

_All Levi could find it in himself to do was stare. “Who are you?”_

_It was difficult to tell from the angle he was being held in but he could have sworn the Vampire smirked. “The other Night Lord Yeager.” What? **The other**? “If I agree to answer your questions when we return to Utgard, will you agree to hear me out?”_

_Still reluctant but knowing there was no other means through which he’d even begin to be able to put together the pandora’s box full of shit that this entire debacle had become was to get more information than what he currently had the raven nodded._

_The flight back was swift, much to his relief, but even still by the time they made it back to the crumbling castle he was thoroughly frozen through. The brunet released him and stepped back, gesturing to the stairs which found their start not far away._

_“Come inside before you freeze. I’ll get a fire going.” He didn’t attempt to correct Levi when he edged cautiously around him, yet even for his own reference to himself as a monster there was something stubbornly resentful in his golden eyes. “Turn left, here. We’ll go to the den.”_

_‘The den’ was a long and narrow room, the dark stained furniture and rich upholstery absolutely caked in dust. Animal heads hung from the walls, their false eyes casting a dull stare outwards and each draped in intricate cob-web crowns. The opening of the hearth was taller than the brunet and filled with a three inch layer of cold ash._

_An armful of fire wood clattered as it was dropped into it. Levi watched him crouch down and begin to fumble with a book of matches, annoyed at himself for noticing how pretty he was and for how his eyes almost immediately snapped to the ripple of muscle under the thin shirt he wore._

_He couldn’t be completely sure given how quietly the words were hissed, but Levi considered himself well enough acquainted with the typical vocabulary of a sailor to recognize vulgar language when he heard it. After going through almost twenty matches the brunet finally succeeded in catching the fire wood alight; snapping the box closed he straightened up and muttered one final swear, this one fully audible, before scratching at the back of his neck in a self-conscious manner._

_“Sorry about that. Should probably get around to replacing those matches.” After dragging two chairs so close to the hearth that they were practically **in the fire** he indicated the nearest one. “We don’t have any food here, I’m afraid, since we don’t really **need** to eat. Even though we can. If we want to.”_

_Well, it looked like it was time to add ‘awkward Vampire’ to his list of things he’d never thought he’d see. Cautiously, he sat down._

_“I’ll live.” It had been so long since he’d actually eaten by this point that he didn’t even feel hungry anymore. “You said that you have something to say. So talk.”_

_The brunet leapt over the chair in a manner which reminded him far too much of the bratty cadets back at the Legion’s base in Mitras. “I did say that I had something to say, and I’m going to say it, but it’s important to get the hospitality out of the way first. It’s only polite.” That stubbornness was back, almost seeming to dare him to disagree. “We can hardly have a productive conversation without at least knowing each other’s names.”_

_“You first, fang-face.”_

_Thin lips drew more tightly together, but his company made no comment on the matter. “Eren.” If Levi hadn’t already been as pale as he was it’d have been a lot more obvious that all the blood had drained from his face. Every Scout, and the majority of the veteran members of the two other regiments, were more than familiar with the Vampire named ‘Eren Yeager’; the Puppeteer under Zeke’s command. “I broke free of his control. Became a Night Lord myself. Took over Utgard and have been challenging him and the others at every turn available but you still haven’t told me who you are, Scout.”_

_“Levi.” He could hear the reluctance in his own voice. “Levi Ackerman.”_

_Eren’s nod was solemn; it seemed odd, paired with the Vampire. He didn’t seem the type with which ‘serious’ mixed all that well. “It all makes sense now.” He said. “Who better to make a weapon from than Humanity’s Strongest? You’d have made a Death Dealer unlike any other.”_

_“Planning to make me one of yours?” it came out harsh, harsher than was likely safe, but he couldn’t really bring himself to care. There was no such thing as ‘safe’ around a Vampire, so what did it matter?_

_“I’ve gone through it, Levi. Had my life taken, my mind chained, my body reduced to a tool. Lost everything and had to rebuild, not knowing anything aside from the fact that I’m a monster and shouldn’t be. You may not trust me now but you’ll come to, just as you’ll come to understand what we’re trying to do and why you can never go back to the Empire, in time.” He said. “But we should discuss matters of your…medical situation.”_

_Medical situation? “What are you talking about, corpse brat?”_

_“You swallowed Vampire blood. Though not solidified like it would be if you’d successfully been turned, the pull exists for you.” Eren told him. “You’ll have to drink an herbal flush daily for the rest of your life, or you’ll eventually be unable to resist seeking Zeke out. I can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to save you a second time.”_

_So he had a choice between the world’s worst herbal tea and a pair of fangs in his neck? Marvelous. “Explain to me why I can’t go back to the Empire.” The raven stared at the fire in order to avoid looking at the Vampire who sat curled up in a nearby armchair. He looked too human. Could have been mistaken for one of the idiot cadets of the Legion if not for those unnatural golden eyes. “You’d better have a damn good reason why I should stay here when I should be fighting against your kind to protect humanity!”_

_“Because even Humanity’s Strongest can’t protect humanity from itself.” He rose from the chair, turning towards the door._

_Levi wasn’t about to let him get away that easily, jumping to his feet himself. “What the hell does that mean?”_

_“It’s better you hear from the mouths of those who’ve gone through it. I’m a Vampire. One of the enemy, if not the enemy myself. You don’t have any reason to believe what I have to say on the matter.” Damn it all if that didn’t sound accusatory. “I’ll have Mikasa bring some food up from Ferolind for you. Once Armin’s pronounced you sufficiently healed, you’ll be set up in the village to live.”_

“It sounds like you got off on a bit of the wrong foot.” Despite everything, Erwin sounded rather amused.

“I still can’t believe Shorty jumped off a cliff.” The raven resisted the urge to correct her on the fact he’d fallen off. “But he still hasn’t gotten to the part I’m _really_ interested in. Just how _did_ you end up a Vampire, Levi?”

The hanging Vampire sighed; better to get it over with as quickly as possible. “It’s not as riveting a tale as you seem to be expecting.”


End file.
